Ever Forward
by The Last
Summary: [AU] Rules were made to be broken. Hearts were too. When a mistake breaks the team apart, one man has to learn that he can just as wrong as everyone else. [Raven:Beast Boy][Robin:Starfire]
1. Down We Go

**:Disclaimer: **I do own own Teen Titans.

**:Summary: **(AU) Rules were made to be broken. Hearts were too. When a mistake breaks the team apart, one man has to learn that he can just as wrong as everyone else.

**:Pairings:** Raven:Beast Boy (Miranda:Kevin) & Robin:Starfire (Tim:Rose)

**:Author Notes:** Welcome to another story.

**:T: **

**Ever Forward: **Down We Go

**:T:**

They are the few. They are the strong.

They are the System Force.

Leader of the group: Tim Erics. Strategist, tactician, specializing in unique weapons.

Rose Smith, linguist, translator, brute strength and guns.

Jacob Marls, one man bomb squad, electrician, heavy firepower.

Miranda Nicksson, psychiatrist, criminal mind analyst, hand to hand combat master.

Kevin Carson, comedian, joker, medic.

They are the elite, banding together to form their unique team which has crushed everything before it. When it seems that no one else can follow through, the Force is there.

But just because they are the best, doesn't mean that they don't have their own problems.

**:T:**

It was an unspoken rule- one that had never been mentioned, merely understood. No one was sure when it had come about, or why it was there; only that they knew the one rule they could not break was this:

**Nothing more than friends. **

And to break it was sure to bring consequences upon them, for Tim would enforce it… even if it wasn't a written rule.

However, some may argue that Fate has other things in mind for us, and that something which applies only to the head and not the heart should be done away with. Some called it inevitable. Some called it Destiny. But one thing was sure: rules were made to be broken. It's only a matter of time.

**:T:**

Tim walked up the stairs, one arm already complaining from the strain of carrying the thick ream of paper. He grit his teeth and kept going; his arm had a point. Paper work was the worst part, he decided, of this job. Being out on the streets fighting was no problem, but put a stack of forms in front of him was almost as bad as being shot.

Nearing the top of the stairs he paused, letting his eyes adjust to the sliver of bright sunlight coming in through the propped door. The roof was better for doing such things; at least he had some fresh air instead of the ever lingering smell of coffee and pickles. (Don't ask). About to push open the door all the way, Tim heard voices, and paused.

"We'll have to tell them some time." Kevin? What was he doing up there?

"I know. It's just… I'm not sure how Tim's going to take it. Hiding it for this long, I'm surprised he still hasn't found out." Miranda? What were they talking about?

"Do you want to keep hiding it?" Resignation in the other man's voice.

"No! I… want to be open about it. I want to not have to hope every moment that we're together that we won't be found. I love you, Kevin, and I want so badly to tell them. But…"

"That damn rule no one ever talks about. What a waste."

"I know. Am I the only one who sees how he looks at Rose?"

"No, I've seen it too. I think he's the only one who hasn't noticed it yet." A pause. "Miranda, we don't have to."

"And do what? Keep lying? No… The truth would come out sooner or later."

"And it's going to be sooner." Tim chose the moment to step out, eyes focused already on the two standing on the roof. They were surprised by his entrance, but he saw their hands linked together, and felt slow anger filling him.

It was the one rule no one had ever dared to break. The only rule he had never let them test.

And they had broken it.

Miranda was the first to recover, grip tightening on Kevin's hand. Her calm gray eyes met his furious blue ones as she took a breath.

"Tim, whatever punishment you come up with- it's for me only. Understand?" Before either men could say something, she squeezed Kevin's hand once more, and then brushed by Tim and headed downstairs.

"You." It was a snarl; an angry snarl in a voice Tim didn't know he could use. But he was too upset, too furious to care about anything else. Kevin didn't flinch.

"I love her, Tim. Apparently, that's the one emotion you don't understand." And then he too was gone, and Tim was left up on the roof, angry, confused, and filled with a cold determination to punish them.

**:T:**

Tension so thick you really could cut it with a knife had filled the barracks in the last few days. The Force didn't live off base, in order to be ready whenever duty (or the chief) called. And everyone waited, waited for the brewing storm to finally break and pour down wrath. Two days later, it came.

Tim walked coldly up to Miranda, who stopped talking with Jacob and looked calmly at him, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand as the entire office froze.

"Miranda Nicksson, you are hereby relieved of your position on System Force. Pack your things and get out." Kevin, standing nearby as he had been nearly every moment since the discovery, started to speak as hate and rage filled his eyes. A look from Miranda- one of weariness, peace, and sorrow- stopped him as she took the sheet of paper from her former team leader. Placing the mug down on the nearest open table, she straightened and walked out.

When the door closed behind her, Tim felt a cool smugness trickle in. Now they knew he was serious. But when he too walked away, what he didn't realize was that every eye in the room was on him... And none of them were happy.

**:T:**


	2. Pain Is Only Real

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me.

**:Author's Notes: **The point of this story is to take the 'worst' traits in everybody and blow them out of proportion. List:

**Tim**: Controlling. **Kevin**: Aggressive. **Miranda**: Calm. **Rose**: Slightly unmodest. Jacob doesn't really have one...

Just in case you were wondering.

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Pain Is Only Real

**:T:**

_We are humans. That means we are often wrong. It means we are hard put to forgive those wrongs in others, and ask forgiveness for it when we ourselves are wrong. But being human means we can at least try._

_Perhaps trying is the hardest part. You know what you must say or do, what orders are to be followed and which ones are just plain mad. What causes problems is trying. Trying to win, trying to stay alive. Trying to forgive and trying to apologize._

_Being human gives us emotions. It gives us something to add into that long, difficult equation of life. Suddenly it's not just X + Y; it's X, Y, Q. And Q is undefined. Q is subject to far more change than X and Y together- unless you attempt to get rid of Q. Then you lose something far more precious than gold._

_You lose that part of you which makes you human._

_-Miranda Nicksson, in a letter to Rose Smith_

**:T:**

Rose slammed her hand down on the desk, biting her lip so the furious words wouldn't come spilling out. Three months. Three months in which everything had spiraled downwards, so fast that after their seven years of working together, in three months **everything** had been lost.

A sharp stab of pain shot through her hand and she lifted it, wincing as she realized that in her haste, she had hit a loose thumbtack. Using her fingernails the woman pried the metal from her palm, watching the blood seep upwards as it filled the hole made by the tack.

"Damn." Oh yes, damn. Anyone who might have heard her say that would have been very surprised. As a general rule Rose tried to refrain from cursing- it screwed up the translations she ran through her head. But the strain was too much. And everything had changed, so why couldn't she?

Tim… A hint of affection came to her mind at the thought of him, until she frowned and pulled out a tissue to staunch the bleeding. The System team had always known that Tim was a good leader; hell, without him they'd all be dead long before this. But what they hadn't known was the cold creature who thirsted for power, and tolerated no questions.

The creature that had taken over the man who she had known for seven long years.

He was so different now! Peeling up the soaked paper fibers, the only woman now on the Force put another tissue on the minor wound. When Miranda and Kevin had broken that unspoken rule, they seemed to have broken something in Tim. Rose had always thought that he had put that 'law' into place to protect himself; she hadn't asked about his life before the System Force.

She hadn't really wanted to know.

But when the leader of your team started going out on hourly missions, dragging the rest of them with him, and almost taking a chilling delight in bringing down rule breakers…

It was too much. Her mind made up, Rose pulled out a pen from behind her ear and got a piece of paper. For a moment she paused, heart wistfully wondering if her message might change him, bring back the old Tim she knew and cared for… and then shook her head, put the pen to paper, and began to write.

**:T:**


	3. Say Goodbye

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once.

**:Author's Notes: **Be prepared for some good ol' fashioned angst, people. (And a new twist.) Sorry for the late update!

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Say Goodbye

**:T:**

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_I, Rose Smith, of my own free will and with all due intentions, hereby resign from the System Force and all affiliated efforts. Using the legislature from Section 7, lines 67-80, I will claim my last payment and retire into civilian life, keeping secret what I have seen and heard and done while on the System Force._

_-Rose Smith, excerpted from her resignation letter_

**:T:**

Kevin paced, back and forth, back and forth, fists clenched so hard that his short nails dug into the tan skin mercilessly. Jacob watched with hidden worry, feeling like prey that hides and watches a predator go by- one that is not seeking them, but could turn on you anyway. Two weeks since Rose quit without a word to any of them, and the remaining members had finally had enough.

This was the breaking point.

The door opened suddenly and Kevin stilled, intent eyes that hadn't quite drained of hatred focused on the real prey. Tim walked in, face as motionless as it had once been animate, apparently unaware of the danger posed by his own teammate. Immediately the taller man stalked over, lips curling back in a silent snarl as Tim stopped, suddenly realizing that Kevin was coming his way.

"What do you want Kevin?" There was no emotion in that dead pan voice. The addressed man halted less than a foot away, emerald eyes full of stormy anger, and then socked his leader one on the jaw.

Instantly Jacob was up on his feet, grabbing Kevin's arms and pulling him back as Tim hit the floor, a stunned look in his eyes. Never, in the seven years that they had worked together, had Kevin hit anyone.

"Let me go, Jacob!" However Marls didn't let release him, waiting until Tim got back up on his feet. Then Kevin pulled away and his friend stepped back, feeling the air in the room change abruptly.

"You bastard." Once again, that stupid amazement in Tim's expression as he backed up the tiniest bit, away from the approaching man. "You arrogant, self centered, idiotic excuse for a human!" When Kevin swung again, the black haired man barely managed to deflect it.

"Do you know the only reason I stayed? Because _Miranda asked me to_. She cared too damn much about you and the people of the city, and so she asked me to stay!" Tim couldn't block everything, and Kevin wasn't losing his strength.

"That's enough Carson!" Lashing out a heavy hand, Jacob pulled the struggling man to him. When Kevin shuddered, he feared that he had somehow hurt the man- but no. There were tears falling from the hurt green eyes.

"We hid it from you, for so long. We started dating in our fourth year; such a damn long time, keeping it in so this wouldn't happen." Their leader had recovered enough to stand and was staring in shock at Kevin as the man let his ragged voice fall from his weary lips.

"We were _married_, Tim. A week and a half before you let your hurt pride and heart throw her out of the System Force. _Married_." He clenched his fists and sunk down to sit on a chair, crying with previously contained rage as the two other men reeled mentally from his words.

Married. And once Miranda had been taken off the team, she had been given a house on the outskirts of town, and the Force lived in their own on-site rooms… and Tim had been especially sure to not let Kevin have time to go outside.

The fact seemed to have hammered some humanness back into Tim, but when he tried to say something, stunned and groping for words, Kevin stood and handed him a piece of paper, to which was attached Jacob's resignation sheet also.

"I quit, Erics. The System Force is over."

When he walked out the door, it didn't slam behind him… only swung softly swung, the creaking sound almost like crying.

**:T:**


	4. Already Gone

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once. Don't look into the sun- it burns.

**:Author's Notes: **Aren't sitewide glitches fun?

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Already Gone

**:T:**

_You'd be amazed by how quiet things have gotten around here; his anger seems to have scared all the sensible criminals away, and the stupid ones are all in jail. The thing is, now that 'icy' feeling is extending towards us, and I am truthfully scared of this man._

_He's not the person who saved my life on our first mission down to the chemical plants; he's not the same man who unconsciously flirted with Rose and then nearly had a heart attack when she hugged him… He's changed._

_God, I miss you._

_- Kevin Carson, in a letter to Miranda Nicksson_

**:T:**

Tim sat alone on the roof, watching the cars roll by far below as a breeze played with his unkempt hair. Days (he wasn't sure how many) had passed by after Kevin and Jacob had left. Officially the System Force was dismantled; somehow, deep in the heart that had been unfeeling for so long, Tim kept hoping they'd come back.

It was in their blood, after all. The deep buried urge to save and rescue those in trouble, help, and protect.

But he knew they wouldn't.

And it was because of him.

Never before in his life had Tim felt so alone and ashamed of himself. This was his fault; he knew it and didn't try to deny the simple truth. Because of him, the four people he had ever fully trusted were gone.

Damn.

That hit him in the face like a bucket of cold water; the Force had been his second family. He had never quite realized how much he cared for them. That same old saying: You don't miss it till it's gone.

It was the last straw on the camel's back; he broke. Just closed his eyes and couldn't stop the tears. What fools we mortals are; what god damn fools.

His arrogance had done it. His heartfelt need not to be hurt again. The instinctive feeling that if anyone were to love again, that somehow he'd be hurt, had done it. All his fault…

Finally the tears stopped and he looked up to where the sun drifted through the sky, not embarrassed of his tears. After all, didn't one cry and mourn when their family died?

He had to get them back.

With lightening fast intensity, the thought struck. Since he had broken them up, the least he could do was patch together the team and then leave. The city needed them more than it perhaps knew; for sure he knew.

So even if it took him crawling on hands and knees (something he'd never thought he'd imagine doing) he would beg. He'd apologize. And he'd tell them not to worry- he'd be gone once they came back.

Standing, the once proud man felt a tiny spark of hope... and prayed that a sudden wind wouldn't blow it out.

**:T:**


	5. Sorry Doesn't Mean A Thing

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once. Don't look into the sun- it burns. It's not good to get only three hours of sleep...

**:Author's Notes: **So if anyone has me on Author Alert, they have a grand total of four updates in their Inbox. o.0

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Sorry Doesn't Mean A Thing

**:T:**

_Mary Ann, you'd never believe how stupid some of this man's jokes are. Even a kindergartener would realize it's bad. And yet he keeps it up._

_Then there's Rose; she had to be the strongest woman alive. Handles a gun pretty well too; even in the most extreme situations she's never missed her target. Can't imagine why she hasn't found somebody already- background says she's a former prostitute though, which could be a reason why._

_Miranda is the calmest, most unaffected person I've ever met. I think she's got a good head on those shoulders, and should make an excellent part of the System Force. (The creepiest thing is when she seems to read your mind; that's the one thing I might never get used to.)_

_Jacob is this immense powerhouse that just starts going and doesn't stop. If you ever need a hand with anything remotely electrical, he's your man. Though, considering my brother in law is a wiz at that stuff already, I don't think you'll be needing him._

_It's going to an interesting ride to say none the least. But I think I like them._

_- Tim Erics, in a letter to Mary Ann Wade_

**:T:**

First was Miranda- Tim felt he owed it to her. If he could manage to get her back on the team, it might be easier to persuade the others.

Flipping through the record files, the determined man eventually found her new address buried under seven months of paper work. His lips moved silently as he memorized the number and street, and then he slipped out of the office, heading for 8145 Cherry Orchard Lane.

It wasn't that far away; actually on the border between the 'safe' zone and the shadier side of town. He decided to walk; the cars the Force used were too flashy for this area. Finally, about half an hour later, Tim stopped in front of the fence and looked up, keen eyes sweeping across the small house in front of him. Slowly, unsure for a moment, his hand hovered over the latch; then his resolve came back and the former leader came in, lifting a hand to knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Miranda's voice floated out, tired but patient as always. Apparently the question was rhetorical, because a few seconds later the white door swung on it's hinges and her grey eyes appeared in the opening. There was a moment of shock and recognition, and Tim wondered if he saw anger in her face. And then she sighed, as though accepting the inevitable.

"Erics." No first name, though the tone wasn't unfriendly. "What are you here for?" He swallowed, somehow finding it harder to speak in the face of her calmness.

"I… wanted to say I was sorry, and ask you to come back- I won't be there if you do." She took a slow breath, looking up to the cloudy sky above.

"I can't accept your apology, Tim." Leaning on the back of the door, hidden from his sight, she took another shuddering breath. "Do you know why?" Silence as Tim stared at the white wood hiding her from him.

"I was pregnant when I left the Force, Erics. A human life was growing inside of me, and I swore that I would protect it while Kevin protected the city. It was my child, Tim. My baby." Her voice twisted, taking on an edge of inner pain and tears. "Three weeks ago a group of thugs picked me out as a target. I can only do so much- I could only fight so hard- and it wasn't enough." The man on her steps found it hard to breathe, feeling the weight of guilt and blame settle on his shoulders as she spoke.

"And so I lost her. My child, Tim. A baby girl depended on me for her life, and I failed her." She turned, grey eyes meeting his. "So that's why I can't accept your apology, Tim."

Eternity stretched as the once proud man stood before her, lost in confusion and guilt, unable to speak. Finally she wiped the tears away.

"Would you like some tea?" It would have been an odd question from anyone else, but Miranda stepped back and he slowly came up, pausing beside his former teammate.

"… I'm sorry." He saw her accept it before she turned and made her way to the kitchen, leaving him to follow.

Half an hour later Miranda looked up at the clock.

"You should go. He'll be home soon." He understood the unspoken message: _He's not ready to see you yet._ Rising, the black haired man nodded goodnight to her and slipped out the door. Once outside, he was forced to stop in the alley next to their little house and sit, waiting out the weakness in his legs.

A car pulled up and Kevin got out, going inside. The cheerful sounds of dinner made their way out to Tim, and it was only when Miranda began to cry, and Kevin to comfort her, that he rose and walked home.

**:T:**


	6. Paper Work

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once. Don't look into the sun- it burns. It's not good to get only three hours of sleep... Math hurts my brain.

**:Author's Notes: **Mary Ann is explained; for those of you who might not catch it, she's Tim's sister.

**PS: **Much thanks to IsaacGSO for unclaiming my disclaimer.

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Paper Work

**:T:**

_How do you do it? Why do you wait so long to admit to yourself_

_That_

_You _

_Are _

_Wrong?_

_Just breathe…_

_It'll pass soon._

_You're only human, after all._

_-Mary Ann, in a poem from her Collection 'Once They Told Me', dedicated to her brother Tim Erics_

**:T:**

The sound of footsteps in the otherwise empty garage echoed slightly, giving warning to the man under the car that someone had entered his private domain.

"Who's there?" With a push, he rolled back out from underneath the SUV, wiping his hands on a greasy rag as Jacob sat up, eyes scanning the area.

"Tim?" His former leader stood in the doorway, worn out to the point of dropping. "Why're you here?" Not anger, just cautiousness in the question as Marls got to his feet.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, Jacob. That, and ask that you go back to the System Force, because I'll be leaving." Blank silence as the addressed man mulled over the words.

"You're leaving?" Surprise. Tim sighed, nodding tiredly.

"Yes." Another pause, and then Marls came over, putting one hand on Tim's shoulder.

"You really do sound like you mean that. Do you?" When Tim looked up, meeting the serious brown eyes, there was a true regret in them.

"Yes." Just as he started to crumple, Jacob lifted him up and slung him over his shoulder.

"Damn it, Tim, what have you been doing to yourself?" Then, considering the unusually light weight of the man, "Or rather, what haven't you?"

"Have to get things done…" Came the tired mutter. "Fricking paper cuts…" Jacob blinked and then laughed.

"You, working yourself to exhaustion over _papers_? Man, there really is something wrong with you."

Later, fully restored to his senses with the help of pizza and alcohol, Tim sat on the couch and finished the last slice.

"Why are you leaving?" Jacob asked, flipping through the channels of his old TV. His friend was surprised.

"Because that's the only way I thought you guys would come back. The city needs the System Force; the police are struggling with the overload and crime rate has risen. And… it's not a one man job." With an approving look on his normally serious face, Marls slapped Erics on the back.

"You see, that's what you've been missing this entire time. It's the one thing we all (beside you, obviously) knew you needed to learn. You just took the hard way." Tim absorbed the words, then began to laugh, putting his head in his hands.

"All along. Hah! I've been a real ass." It wasn't a question, but Jacob nodded anyway.

"Have you talked to any of the others?" Coughing slightly, Tim nodded.

"Miranda." A hesitation. "Did you know…"

"That she lost the baby?" Jacob finished the sentence. "Yes. And?"

"… She didn't say whether or not she come back."

"I think she will." Tim raised an eyebrow as he lifted his head. "It's in the blood," Jacob explained. "To the System Force." A weary toast, to a team that had been... and might be once more.

**:T:**


	7. Innocent Hurt

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once. Don't look into the sun- it burns. It's not good to get only three hours of sleep... Math hurts my brain. Spring is just around the corner, or somewhere along the block.

**:Author's Notes: **I have decided that I must be a Robin hater. After much thought (not really) I came to the conclusion that I just didn't like him. Which could explain the underlying emotions that came out when writing this story. o.0

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Innocent Hurt

**:T:**

_Time's a fleeting thing. It slows down, then speeds up. Like it can't makeup it's mind. So we have to make the most of it. Seize the moment kind of thing, because you never know when you'll die._

_I've been in critical care more times than I care to think about, and every time that I pull out, I realize something about life. It's even more precious than time, because you can't make a change with Time, but you can with your life._

_Every time we step outside, we're putting our lives on the line. And we know it. But I think it's worth the risk, don't you?_

_-Jacob Marls, in a presentation to middle school students_

**:T:**

Birds chirped and sang. Kids yelled and ran. The blue sky drifted unhurried above. All in all, it was turning out to be a fine day… for most people.

Tim had snapped out of his depressed slump after seeing Jacob, but the weight of what his arrogance had done still dragged at him, a dark cloud ever above him. After meeting the other two it had lifted some, but he wasn't sure if he could face Kevin.

A car door slammed and his eyes focused on the scruffy green grass, pulling up as laughter reached his ears.

"Fine then! We'll just have to meet again on Tuesday." Kevin's voice. And before he could think, he had risen and was meeting Kevin's green gaze over the roof of the car. It flashed with anger and then hardened into something remarkably like hate.

"Bo, go on. I'll catch up with you later." The other man, barely visible in the side of Tim's peripheral vision, nodded and slipped back into the car, driving off. "Tim." The restrained voice floated to him as the battle of wills continued.

"Kevin. Do you have time to talk?" _Don't get mad. Don't provoke him. Don't do anything stupid… again._ His brain yammered at him as Kevin nodded shortly.

"You're right. We do." But Tim didn't want to break the innocence of this gentle scene around them, so he gestured towards the other side of the tree covered park.

"This way." In a moment the brown haired man had caught up to the shorter one, and they walked side by side until the sounds of the city didn't reach them any more. Then Kevin turned, confronting him with clenched fists.

"Kevin, I'm sorry." His companion's lips twisted, as though trying to contain the inner fury.

"You should be." But Tim was reassured by one fact- Kevin didn't try to move any closer.

"I talked to Miranda, Kevin. I… this was my fault. I'm sorrier than you can know." That unleashed the brutal creature in Kevin, and the man slammed Tim into the nearest tree.

"It was our child, you bastard. Our child." Then the rage crumbled and Kevin backed off, hands shaking as he leaned against a tree. And Tim couldn't watch, couldn't bear to see him break down… but this was because of him, and he couldn't look away.

"Why?" The ragged whisper jerked Erics back to reality. "Why are you here?" Hesitantly, unsure, his former leader began to speak.

"I… was wrong. And… the city, these people, they need the System Force." Hatred flashed in the green eyes and Tim hurried to speak. "I thought the last thing that I could do was to get the Force back together before I left. Please." Comprehension lit slowly in Kevin's face, but the cold mask was still there. No, this was a wound that would be slow to heal- if it ever did.

"That's why." And then Tim turned, putting his hands in his pockets to hide the shaking. Once more he had faced the irreparable damage he had done, and once more he felt all too keenly the blame.

But he would do it, damn it. One last time.

**:T:**


	8. Not Just Sleeping

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once. Don't look into the sun- it burns. It's not good to get only three hours of sleep... Math hurts my brain. Spring is just around the corner, or somewhere along the block. Windows aren't good things to jump out of, though a bad relationship is something that's one you should.

**:Author's Notes: **Second to last chapter- scary, ain't it? Well, I hope you've enojoyed this!

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Not Just Sleeping

**:T:**

_Don't you ever wonder what would happen if we just disappeared? Like in 'Left Behind'- people just 'poof'. Would we be missed? What would the people who didn't vanish remember of us?_

_All I know is that I don't want to do nothing with my life. I want to make the lives of others better, in any way I can. I want to heal the hurts of the world while I'm still here, so that if I ever leave, they might just miss me._

_And by now I know you're laughing at me. This is all the thanks I ever get, isn't it?_

_But hey! You're smiling._

_-Kevin Carson, in a letter to Jacob Marls_

**:T:**

The knives flashed in the twilight dimness as grunts and curses flew every which way, quickly followed by the thugs who had foolishly chosen to attack Tim. He whirled, a blur as the shadowed figures fell to the unforgiving concrete. When the last of them crumpled, the black haired man straightened from his crouch and began a count.

"Nine… ten…" Puzzlement. "I could had sworn there were twelve of th-" The blade stabbed into his back cut off the final words as Tim jerked, spinning to break the man's arm with a kick. His other companion yelled and brought his own switchblade down, slicing through the thick layers of clothing on Tim's body and leaving multiple cuts as the man swore and slashed again.

"Damn you thugs-" Erics knocked him out, stopping to catch his breath. A cough- and the man stared at the blood on his glove. "Damn." Stumbling, he dragged himself further along the row of high fences before finally collapsing, eyes becoming unfocused as the world blurred.

His one regret would probably be that he hadn't gotten to apologize to Rose…

_Red hair fell gently over his face, like a faintly perfumed curtain blocking the rest of the world…_

God, his hallucinations were getting worse…

_A hand touched his face and warm breath misted across it…_

"_Tim…"_

So it was true that you heard angels when you were dying…

"_What the hell have you done?"_

A lot of bad things, Rose…

A lot… of… bad… things…

**:T:**

Ice blue eyes opened to focus slowly on a white ceiling as he blinked, wondering why there wasn't some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. Then, shifting, the man became aware of the warm linen sheets covering his otherwise prone body.

Instantly he was up and out, scanning the area and assessing whatever danger might lurk as he sank into a defensive crouch.

"Ouch!" A sharp stab from his ribs reminded him that he was injured- which meant he was dead… right? Quick fingers probed the carefully wrapped bandages underneath his street clothes as his eyes narrowed.

"Where I am?" The question had to be rhetorical, because there was no one there to answer it besides the searching man.

"No bars on the windows… breakable objects… a phone?" Utterly confused, Tim finally turned to the door and opened it slowly.

An imperturbable, solemn face was the first thing he saw; cautiously, the younger man pulled the white door open all the way.

"Am I being held prisoner?" No answer as the butler swept his ancient gaze up and down Tim, then about-faced and walked downstairs. Slightly miffed, the other man came out into the hall and cracked open another door. Towel closet. _Expensive_ towels…

Four doors later, Tim was about ready to stop and ask himself exactly why he was doing this. Then confident, sure footsteps reached his ever alert ears and the man quickly slipped into the closest room, shutting the door quickly.

"So you're awake." He turned, mouth opening at the sound of Rose's voice- and then snapped it shut as she watched. A soapy hand lifted to wave at his wide eyed expression as Rose threw back her head and laughed, the bubbles that hid most of her flashing rainbows.

"Quite a way to say hello, barging into a lady's bath." His mouth suddenly worked again and he tried to say something, unable to get more than a strangled utterance through. Her green eyes were filled with quiet humor as he blushed and fumbled for the doorknob.

"Ma'am, should I remove the intruder?" A bodyguard? He blanched as Rose smiled with genuine amusement.

"No- let him stay for a few more days. _Then _you can throw him out." She gestured with a hand, already going back to washing her hair. He took the moment to slip out, past the towering man glaring at him, and back into the (what he assumed was) guest room.

**:T:**


	9. Letting Go

**:Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**:Author's Notes: **Well, it's a Tuesday and look! Internet access!

So... it's an end. Last chapter of **Ever Forward**, folks, and I hope you've enjoyed it! Thanks toall who have reviewed- I appreciated it. Hope to see you on some of my other (upcoming) stories!

**:T:**

**Ever Forward: **Letting Go

**:T:**

_Life goes on._

_-The System Force's motto_

**:T:**

"_In other news today, the System Force has been reactivated, much to the relief of the local police and citizens. Now to Amber Barbs, who has the latest on the story."_

"_Thank you, Jessica. Here in Twister, there has always been one source of help that the people have relied on since it's creation: the System Force. These five have, over the course of seven years, dramatically changed Twister, and as the law abiding people here would say, for the better._

"_However, several months ago one member left the Force: Miranda Nicksson. Shortly after, Rose Smith, Jacob Marls, and Kevin Carson also left, leaving only their leader, Tim Erics. The Force was officially disbanded._

"_Immediately afterwards the crime rate sky rocketed, and the people of Twister didn't know if life would ever be the same again. Now, we've learned, the System team has been reactivated- minus a member._

"_Here with me is Rose Smith. Hello, Rose."_

"_Hello Amber."_

"_If I may ask a few questions…"_

"_Certainly."_

"_Why did the System Force break up?"_

"_There were difficulties that needed to be worked out if the Force was to continue on; we also wanted to see if our help was needed, in case our team was put out of action for extended periods of time."_

"_Also joining me here in Twister is Miranda, Kevin and Jacob. Is it true, gentlemen and ladies, that your leader is leaving?"_

"_That's what we've been told, Amber."_

"_Won't this cause problems for your team, trying to find a new member and still take care of Twister's people?"_

"_Well, Amber (if I may interrupt), we have been _told_ that Tim is leaving. However, we'd like to say that the System Force as a whole is unwilling to let him go, and we want him to know that."_

"_What Jacob says is true, Amber. We don't want him to go."_

"_Tim Erics, I _know_ you are watching this. So listen up."_

"_We're not letting go of you- now, or ever."_

He stared at the small TV screen, letting the neon colors slide past his eyes as he tried to think.

They didn't want him to go?

A squeal of complaint from his door; the sound of four pairs of footsteps.

"I… I…"

"Don't know what to say, right? That's okay. All you have to do-" Rose placed the clipboard in his lap as Kevin pushed a pen into his unmoving fingers.

"Is sign here." A fingernail tapped the document; he looked up and met Miranda's eyes.

"C'mon, Tim, we don't have all day." Jacob prodded him with an elbow, and slowly Tim felt his hand scrawl a signature on the line.

"There. All better. Now let's go- the PDs are already ringing us up for assistance." Hands helped him stand, pulled him out to the waiting car, and sat him inside. When the sound of the siren perched on top of the Suburban penetrated his daze, he looked around at his teammates.

"Why?"

"Oh God, if you still have to ask that-" Rose swerved, hands pulling the steering wheel in a 180 maneuver to avoid a mail truck.

"We're a _team_, Tim." Jacob said patiently. Kevin snorted.

"Seven years and he still doesn't realize that…" As Rose slammed on the gas, Miranda laughed softly and let her head rest on Kevin's shoulder. Watching them, Tim realized that he wasn't afraid anymore. Rising, he leaned into the front part of the SUV and saw the speedometer hit over 100.

"It's not really that necessary to go that fast, is it?" He asked mildly. She bit the tip of her tongue.

"No, but it certainly looks good on the TV." The woman must have had a sixth sense; she applied the brakes right as he leaned over and kissed her soundly.

"And that does too." Jacob said as the two finally broke apart.

"Dammit, Tim, if you make her crash this car, I am going to _kill you_-"

And all was well with their world again.

Perhaps a little bit more than last time, don't you think?

**:The End:**


End file.
